If you've never been unemployed before, job hunting is not an exact science. Anyone could be forgiven for thinking that it was as simple as most feelgood stories make it out to be, uncomplicated, and almost normal.

In practice, it's trial and error, with a quite a few bumps, and some real problems, if you allow those problems to happen.

Job hunting for unemployed people creates its own priorities. It's an idiom, a whole concept of itself.

So you need to learn how to do both. That means being organized, but it also means making good use of time. The less time you have to spend disentangling yourself from the daily issues of unemployment, the better.

The first rule is keep everything simple.

Don't take on more things than you can handle.

Don't allow things to get complicated.

You need to do your job hunting properly, just make sure nothing gets in the way of doing that.

If that means not going out, or not doing something else, so be it. Clear the decks, get everything out of the way, and get set up so you can concentrate. Remove all distractions, including people.

Make it clear you're busy, be tactful, but everyone out, while you're working.

Set up your job hunting routine

This is exactly like work. It is work. You know how to organize a working day, and do what needs doing in the order they need to be done.

This is no different, just a bit more infuriating. Organize your times, so you can job hunt during business hours. It's best to job hunt in the morning, while you have plenty of energy, and can work uninterrupted. You can schedule things for the afternoon, and at least know you've done what needed doing.